Mesomorphic Behaviour and DFT Insight of Arylidene Schiff Base Liquid Crystals and Their Pyridine Impact Investigation

Mohamed A. Zakaria, Mohammed Alazmi, Kanubhai D. Katariya, Yeldez El Kilany, El Sayed H. El Ashry, Mariusz Jaremko, Mohamed Hagar, Sayed Z. Mohammady

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

A new series of Schiff base liquid crystal have been prepared and studied. Schiff bases of p-alkyl aniline derivatives and 4-phenyl pyridine-4′-carbaldehyde were prepared. The terminal alkyl groups substituting aniline are of varied chain length, namely C8, C12 and C14. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The mesomorphic thermal and optical characteristics of the samples were determined via differential thermal analysis (DSC) and polarization optical microscopy (POM). All compounds exhibit enantiotropic dimorphic mesophase behaviour, referred to as smectic X1 (SmX1) and smectic X2 (Sm A). Experimental results obtained for the mesophases were correlated with density functional theory (DFT) theoretical calculations. The results of the new series are further compared to two series of compounds bearing pyridine (two ring Schiff bases) and biphenyl, respectively, in their mesogens. The series of compounds of one pyridine ring are generally not mesomorphic. The results indicate that the alkyl chain length has a strong impact on the mesomorphic characteristics and thermal stabilities of the different mesophases. As a trend, the temperature ranges of both of smectic mesophases of all compounds are higher in new compounds bearing the 4-phenyl pyridine moiety. In addition, the total mesophase range is generally higher in the new compounds when compared to their biphenyl analogues. Finally, theoretical DFT calculations were performed to illustrate the experimental finding of the mesomorphic behaviour in terms of the molecular geometry and aromaticity, π–π stacking and LOL-π.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)978
JournalCrystals
Volume11
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 18 2021

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-08-20
Acknowledgements: The authors extend their appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2021/402), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • General Materials Science
  • General Chemical Engineering

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